


A Dad Indeed

by small_town_girl



Category: Glee
Genre: Comfort, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-11
Updated: 2011-04-11
Packaged: 2017-10-17 22:54:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/182182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/small_town_girl/pseuds/small_town_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Glee Fluff Meme. 5 times Burt went to Finn when Finn needed a dad and 1 time Finn went to Burt on his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Dad Indeed

1\. Shock to the System

Burt dreaded every step that brought him closer to the choir room. He had to keep reminding himself that Carole was fine; she was resting on the couch at home. She’d been in a car accident on her way home from work, some idiot in too much of a hurry ran a stop sign, and she’d ended up with a dislocated shoulder. Burt had seen the aftermath of the wrecked car and knew she’d been lucky to come away with just the one injury. It was painful but she was alive. The car on the other hand, that was junk.

Since Carole normally picked Finn up after school, the task fell to Burt. He’d decided to pick up Finn early from his Glee practice in order to prepare the boy for the sight of his mother with her arm in a sling. It was a hard sight for Burt so he could only imagine how Finn would react. He knew how protective Finn was when it came to Carole and even if the teen didn’t voice it, he was terrified of losing her. That was why he didn’t want to wait to break the news to Finn.

He stood in the choir doorway and just stared at the kids, who were in the middle of a song. It was that cheerleader Kurt had tried dating who noticed him first, bouncing over to him and babbling something about dolphins and baby’s hands. Burt just nodded at her as another cheerleader pulled her back to the seats.

“Burt, is everything okay?” Finn asked. He hadn’t moved from his spot beside Schuester. “My mom? Kurt?”

“Everything’s okay,” he assured his stepson. Maybe he should have waited for Finn to come out of the school and intercepted the boy in the parking lot. He just hadn’t been thinking clearly and knowing that Finn was expecting his mom’s car, he’d wanted to make sure the kid saw him. “I’m sorry Schuester but Finn has to leave early.”

Schuester looked concerned but just nodded his consent. Burt watched as Finn grabbed his bag and said goodbye to his friends before he joined Burt in the hall. He was well aware of the glances Finn kept shooting him as they walked out to his truck but Burt stayed silent. There were still a few students roaming the halls and he didn’t want to say something until they had a little privacy.

“Burt, what’s going on?” Finn asked once they were in the truck.

“Your mom was in a car accident but she’s fine,” Burt told him slowly. He watched as the expression on the teen’s face went from nervous curiosity to fear to relief to fear again. “Finn, she’s fine, she’s home,” he stressed. “Her shoulder’s dislocated so she’ll have to wear a sling for a while and the pain medication makes her groggy but she’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” Finn was fidgeting with his schoolbag and he looked so lost and young at the moment. Apparently the ability to look twelve didn’t rest solely with Kurt.

“I wouldn’t lie about that,” Burt promised. His instincts told him to reach out to the teen but his head wasn’t as sure. If it was Kurt there would be no hesitation. Burt would pull his son into his arms and hold him as long as he needed. Finn was different. He and Finn were still adjusting to their new relationship and Burt didn’t want to cross a line that Finn wasn’t ready for him to cross.

Not getting much of a reaction from Finn was beginning to scare Burt. He could almost see the thoughts that were running through the boy’s head being reflected in his eyes: fear that Burt was sugar-coating his mom’s accident, fear of what could have happened, fear of what would happen if there was another accident. It was painful to watch.

“Hey,” Burt cut in softly, reaching out to grip behind Finn’s neck. He made sure Finn was looking at him before he spoke. “I wouldn’t to let anything happen to you. Your mom is fine. We’re going to have to give her some help around the house and make sure she gets rest but she’ll be back on her feet before you know it. And if you need someone to talk to about it, I’ll be here.”

That got him a small smile and a grateful nod. Burt gently squeezed Finn’s shoulder before he started the truck.

“Let’s get home,” he said.

 

2\. Numbers and Letters Don’t Make Sense

Burt could hear the sighs and groans of frustration coming from the kitchen, where Finn was attempting to do his homework. Normally Carole would help the boy with his schoolwork but she was stuck at work after a few co-workers called in sick. He’d told Finn before if he ever needed help he just had to ask but the teen never had. Burt wasn’t sure how much help he would actually be able to give Finn but if his stepson needed him, he would try.

“How’s it going in there Kid?” he asked.

“Homework sucks,” Finn called back but there was no request for help.

Burt debated whether he should just go into the kitchen and ask Finn if he wanted some help but he didn’t want the boy to feel as though Burt had no confidence in him. Carole had told him about Finn’s problems with self-confidence, something Burt never would have suspected; after all who would think the school’s star quarterback had reason to feel insecure. Now that they were under the same roof Burt had seen a few signs from the teen that did worry him: the way he never sounded sure of himself when answering a question, the way he would look at his mom for permission before starting or stopping a chore, the way he didn’t think he was allowed to ask for help.

After another frustrated groan Burt pushed himself off the couch and headed to the kitchen. If Finn was having as much trouble as it sounded, Burt couldn’t ignore it.

“What are you working on?” he asked, pretending his reason for being in the kitchen was to get himself a bottle of water.

“Math,” the way the word came out of Finn’s mouth actually sounded painful.

“I hated math when I was your age,” Burt took a seat next to Finn and glanced at his workbook. The boy hadn’t made a dent on the problem sheet. “What do you have to do?”

Finn didn’t protest when Burt slid his homework closer so he could see it better. Burt took that as a sign that the teen would allow his help.

“I just don’t get this,” Finn said in frustration about ten minutes later. “Why do they have to put letters in math? It was so much easier when they kept everything separated.”

“Sometimes you just need it explained a different way,” Burt told him. “If you need help Finn, you have to ask.”

“I don’t want people to think I’m stupid,” the boy kept his eyes fixed on the table in front of them. “My teachers already think I can’t do anything. I don’t want everyone to think I’m an idiot.”

Burt frowned at his stepson’s words. “Finn, you’re not stupid. Just because some things are a little harder for you to understand doesn’t mean you’re stupid. I happen to think you’re a very smart young man. I wouldn’t let you work on cars at the garage or help me with repairing stuff around the house if I thought you were an idiot.”

“Thanks Burt,” Finn didn’t sound completely convinced but that was something Burt could work on with time.

“I mean it Son,” Burt said.

 

3\. The Best Medicine

Burt was supposed to be alone tonight, with Carole at work, Kurt at Dalton, and Finn staying at a friend’s house, but when he walked into the house after work, he immediately knew someone else was in the house. He knew it wasn’t Kurt since his son’s car wasn’t in the driveway so it was either Carole or Finn. Carole’s car was also missing but if she’d stayed home then she may have let Finn borrow it.

“Hello?” he called out. There was no noise coming from any of the rooms in the house but he just somehow knew that someone else was home.

There was no one in the living room or kitchen. His and Carole’s bedroom was empty. That left the basement.

“Finn?” It had to be Finn. Carole had no reason to be in the boys’ room. He still got no answer so he made his way down the stairs. “Finn, you down here?”

That time he got a groan and the huge pile of blankets on Finn’s bed moved just a little. Burt crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, slowly peeling back the layers of blankets that were burying his stepson.

“Hey Buddy,” he said once Finn was revealed. The kid was pale except in the cheeks, sweaty, and he looked absolutely miserable. “Guess you’re not feeling too well?”

“’m okay,” Finn mumbled as he tried to pull the blankets back over him. “Go watch your show.”

That Finn thought he would leave him to suffer while he enjoyed a television show bothered Burt. Burt knew his relationship with Finn wasn’t perfect but he’d been trying to reach out more to the teen. He wanted Finn to know that he was just as much his son as Kurt; though he’d failed to let Finn know that before.

“The show’s not important,” Burt told him. He tucked the blankets back around Finn and stole a pillow from Kurt’s bed to make Finn more comfortable. He’d have to remember to watch the pillow before Kurt came home again. “I’m going to get you some Tylenol and some Gatorade. Do you need anything else?”

“No,” came the weak reply. “Thanks.”

Burt hurried upstairs to get the bottle of Tylenol, a bottle of grape Gatorade, a bottle of water, and the thermometer. He’d forgotten to ask Finn if he felt sick to his stomach but they didn’t have any Ginger Ale to help with that anyway. He would phone Carole later and ask her to pick some up on her way home if they needed it.

“Can you sit up?” he asked as he reclaimed his seat on the edge of the bed. He noticed the hesitant look on Finn’s face but the boy did as he asked. Kurt also hated being taken care of but somehow Burt knew it was different. With Kurt it was more about his hate of being coddled and when he looked all of ten, people tended to want to coddle him. With Finn, Burt suspected it had more to do with the fact that he wasn’t Carole. “It’ll be alright Buddy. Your mom will be home soon but for now I need you to take this medicine and have some juice. Okay?”

“Okay,” Finn said.

“Here you go,” Burt handed Finn two pills and the water and watched as he swallowed. “Were you sleeping when I came down?”

“No.”

Burt nodded then made sure the bottles of Gatorade and water within arm’s reach. “Try to get some sleep then. I’ll leave the door open in case you need anything, alright?”

“Okay,” Finn sounded on the verge of falling asleep so Burt patted the blankets and left the teen to what he hoped would be sleep.

 

4\. Maxed Out

Burt couldn’t sleep. He hated nights when he woke up from a deep sleep for no apparent reason, especially when his mind was screaming at him that something was off. It was pure instinct. Carole was asleep beside him so Burt slipped out of bed to check on the boys.

It wasn’t their first night in their new house. They’d officially moved in two weeks ago and the last box had been unpacked earlier that week. He and Carole had the second floor all to themselves, just as they had in their old house, and the boys shared the basement again, but this time in two separate bedrooms. The family still couldn’t believe their luck in finding such a perfect house.

He tried to be as quiet as possible as he crept down the stairs but he still caused a few creaks. Eventually he’d learn the right spots to step so he wouldn’t make any noise. He turned the corner to go down to the basement but a faint glow caught his eye. The television in the living room was on.

“Finn, what are you doing up?” Burt frowned at the sight of his stepson curled up on the couch watching the muted television. A replay of an earlier basketball game was playing but Burt suspected Finn wasn’t paying too much attention to the game.

“I’m sorry,” Finn immediately scrambled to his feet. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” Burt lied. The room was sent into blackness as Finn turned off the television so Burt reached out to turn on a lamp. “Something on your mind Kid?”

Finn shook his head but he made no move to leave the room. Burt knew he wasn’t the smartest man but even he could figure out there definitely was something on the kid’s mind. He took a seat on the couch and patted the seat next to him. He could do this. He would just talk to Finn as he would Kurt. Maybe he’d get lucky and Finn would be easier to get information out of, since Kurt preferred to keep everything a secret.

“Finn, you can talk to me,” Burt said and he gave the boy’s shoulder a squeeze. What was with kids these days and keeping important things from adults? Was there something about him that made Kurt and now Finn feel like they couldn’t come to him with their problems? “What’s going on Buddy?”

“I just,” Finn started but stopped, seeming to gather this thoughts. “It’s everything I guess. Glee club, football, school, girls. Everybody wants something from me and I can’t do everything they want me to. I can’t do four things at the same time but if I don’t then someone will be mad at me.”

“There’s a lot going on in your life right now,” Burt knew that already. He and Carole had had more than a few conversations about how to approach Finn about slowing down. The boy needed to learn how to ask for help and to rely on other people. “First thing, since tomorrow’s Saturday you’re going to take the whole day off. Sleep in as late as you want and spend the day watching football or movies on the couch if you want. You’re too stressed Kid, and it’s probably why you can’t sleep.

“As for people being mad, well that’s unfortunately a part of life but I can promise you that the people who matter won’t be mad. We’ll be proud of you because you’re a good kid who did your best.”

Burt could see he was getting through to Finn. He’d make sure Carole also talked to her son to reassure him that she was proud of him. Sometimes it was easy to forget that their kids still needed to hear how proud their parents were of them.

“How about I make some warm milk to help us sleep?” Burt asked. “I used to bring Kurt a glass when he was younger. I still do when he’s had a bad day and needs to talk.”

“Okay,” Finn sounded tired, a positive sign in Burt’s mind, and Burt went to heat up the milk. “Thanks Burt,” Finn called after him.

 

5\. Is There A Doctor In The House?

“Hello?” Burt answered the phone after the second ring. The call display said McKinley High but Burt didn’t think much of it. It was probably Finn calling for a ride home from basketball practice after discovering he’d left his cell on the kitchen table.

“Mr Hummel?” the football coach’s voice greeted him and Burt immediately felt an unease spread through this body. He’d met the coach a few times so she was aware that he was Finn’s stepfather. “This is Shannon Beiste, Finn’s coach.”

“I remember,” he had no idea why Finn’s football coach would be calling him. Unless she was also coaching basketball; Finn hadn’t mentioned who had taken over that job. “Is Finn alright?”

“That’s why I’m calling,” the coach said and there was a note of concern in her voice. “A couple of the boys ran into each other during practice. The nurse doesn’t think anything’s been broken but I wanted to let you know so you could decide if a hospital visit is necessary.”

Burt was on his feet and grabbing his care keys before she finished her sentence. “I’ll be right there.”

Burt decided not to call Carole right away. He’d find out how badly Finn was hurt then call her. He didn’t want her to panic and try driving herself to the school or home in that state. He really didn’t want both Hudsons to end up in the hospital.

 

“Hello, I’m Burt Hummel, Finn’s step dad,” Burt told the woman he recognized as Finn’s coach.

“Finn’s in the locker room with Chang and Puckerman,” Beiste explained and led the way. “The nurse thinks Finn sprained his wrist but he doesn’t have a concussion.”

“What happened?” he asked as he saw Finn lying on a bench in the locker room with Mike Chang sitting by Finn’s head and Puck pacing in front of the bench.

“Evans is an ass,” Puck growled but quieted after a glare from the coach. Burt had noticed that with their newly repaired friendship, Puck had become pretty protective of Finn and at times it worried him. He wanted to believe that if Finn was being bullied he would tell him but after Kurt, Burt wasn’t so sure anymore. These teenagers liked their secrets.

Finn sat up slowly and Burt held out his hand for Finn’s bag, which Puck was holding. “He didn’t run into me on purpose Puck. And I’m fine.”

From the look on Puck’s face, Burt knew he wasn’t completely convinced the run-in had been accidental. Burt vowed to question Finn more once they were home.

“Let’s get you home Kid,” he said, nodding his thanks to the other two teens and coach.

 

6\. The Big Question

Burt was surprised to see Finn walking through the door of the garage, especially when he seemed to be alone. The last few times Finn had come home to visit, he’d brought along his girlfriend Michelle and her daughter. That had shocked everyone and Burt and Carole had had to adjust to it, but Burt had to admit Finn was great with her kid.

Finn had met her through her daughter, who Kurt had deemed a mini-Rachel Berry. Finn was a teacher and, though he didn’t teach her at her school, he was one of the teachers in charge of the district’s after-class program and Michelle had been the last parent to pick up their child. Kurt said it had all the makings of a chick flick. Finn taught tenth grade and coached the school’s football and baseball teams.

“Hey Kid,” Burt greeted his stepson.

It was still strange, even after six years, having both boys out of the house. Finn was still close, living in Columbus, but Kurt was all the way in New York and he couldn’t get home as often as they would all like. Finn tried to come home at least one weekend a month but sometimes work kept him too busy. Sometimes he brought Michelle and her daughter, Aria, with him and Burt freely admitted the little girl had him wrapped around her finger. Kurt could refer to her as a mini-Rachel but Burt saw her as a mini-female Kurt.

“Wasn’t expecting you until next weekend,” Burt grabbed a rag to wipe off the grease on his hands before pulling Finn into a hug. “Have you seen your mom yet?”

“Not yet,” Finn rubbed the back of his neck, a sure sign that something was on his mind.

“What’s going on Kid?” Finn was hardly a kid anymore but it was a habit Burt couldn’t break. “Let’s go into the office.”

Once they were settled Burt waited for Finn to start talking. The boy, no the young man, looked tired and it made Finn look younger than he really was, not that Finn ever looked his age. Despite his height, Finn always managed to look a few years younger than his real age; same as Kurt, much to his son’s frustration. There had been more than a few stories of Kurt almost getting kicked out of bars because of his youthful appearance.

“Do you think I’d make a good dad?” Finn asked.

“Is Michelle pregnant?” Burt tried not to panic, after all Finn was a man now and he had a good job. He just didn’t want Finn and Michelle to have to hear comments about having a child out of wedlock.

“No, no,” Finn was quick to assure him though Burt suspected Finn wasn’t opposed to the idea. “It’s just, well,” Finn took something out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Burt.

Burt unfolded the paper and he smiled. It was a child’s painting, obviously Aria’s from her name written in big letters in the corner, and it had three stick figures, a child, a woman, and a tall man, under the words My Family.

“Son, I think you’ll be a great dad,” Burt told him.


End file.
